The MediaCoach

Hi John,

It's the awards season. We've had the Golden Globes, the Grammys and the BAFTAs and the Oscar ceremony is about to take place in Hollywood. Film stars and musicians have been honoured, and those who didn't win have been, or at least appeared to have been, gracious in defeat. I'm offering a few tips about how to handle an awards speech (something that even actors often fail to do well), and there's an example of someone who made a huge impression at an awards ceremony.

Regular readers will know that I'm a music buff. I love to feature new and aspiring artists in my web radio show, as well as mentioning them here. This week, I was lucky enough to speak to a fast-rising star who is the daughter of a musical legend. Jesse Furay Lynch is the daughter of Richie Furay, an extraordinarily talented singer-songwriter who was in the bands Buffalo Springfield, Poco, the Souther Hillman Furay band and his own Richie Furay Band. He will be a guest on one of my future shows. This week I spoke to his daughter about making her first album, and the advice she'd give to other ambitious artists. It's a great listen.

You can hear my interview with Jesse Furay Lynch in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also of course a song from Jesse's album. Buy a copy now!
Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show
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MediaMaster Adele has won plenty of awards, and deservedly so. Last weekend at the Grammys, she was performing a tribute to George Michael. After around a minute into the song, she stopped, apologised to the audience for going wrong (and for an unfortunate swear word), and restarted, giving a superb performance. Not many artists could have got away with it, but her authenticity, and her desire to do a great tribute won the audience over. Well done her.

Sometimes tradition is messed around with. I'm giving the MediaMug award this week to games company Hasbro, that owns the Monopoly board game. They have announced that one of the original pieces - the thimble - is being removed from the game. In 2013, the iron was ejected to make way for a cat. Old pieces such as the boot and battleship remain. They were introduced during the Great Depression, when capitalism failed the west, and things got out of hand. Naturally, there's some outrage over the loss of the thimble. But if people are upset, they've still got the chance to decide what they'd like to see come in. Choices include a hashtag, an emoji , a flip-flop, and a rubber duck. The new piece will arrive in August 2017. A world holds its breath.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Our parents taught us to always say thank you. It's the right thing to do. If you receive an award, here are some things to think about when you deliver your speech of thanks.

Lastly, smile as you return to your seat. You are entitled to!

PLAN YOUR ANSWERS

Preparation is the key to handling questions in media interviews. It is not possible to anticipate every possible question, but if you have planned properly, then nothing will catch you out.

In order to prepare, you should first consider the source of the questions. Will they be put to you by a single interviewer, by a studio audience, or by callers on a phone-in show? Also consider the type of programme, and who it is aimed at. If you are talking to a media professional, they will be asking the sort of questions that their viewers and listeners would like to put to you. Very often, your interview will have been trailed for several hours beforehand, and questions will have been submitted in advance. You need to understand the concerns of your audience so that your answers are relevant to them.

Your friends and colleagues will be able to help you draw up a list of questions. You should make sure that you ask them "If you were the interviewer, what would you ask me that I might not be able to answer?" Tell them not to hold back, or be kind to you. You want to hear the most difficult question that might arise. Believe me, they will be able to come up with some, since they know exactly which skeletons are in which cupboards. Of course, you now need them to do a little more, which is to help you come up with good answers.

If you know that you can cope with the worst questions, you will be confident, relaxed and more focused.

THROW A PARTY

There are lots of parties around after the awards are handed out. You've probably been to a few, and maybe organised one yourself. Running an online event is a bit like hosting a party. You need a venue, you need to send invitations, there must be some entertainment, you need to keep people in order, and you need to follow up afterwards. So whether it's a webinar, twitter chat or Facebook Live, here are some things to make sure the party goes well.

1) Venue. Think about where your actual and potential customers are. That's the place to run your event. It may be possible to attract them to a Facebook Live, but if they aren't using Facebook, it may be better to run a webinar that's easier to participate in.

2) Invitations. Make sure these go out well before the event so that people can put the date in their diary. You will need to send reminders (not too many) as well, to pick up those who are interested, but failed to see or act on the initial announcement.
3) Entertainment. You don't need a DJ or a band. You do need something that people find interesting and useful, which is the content you provide. It is up to you to make it somewhat entertaining, so if you find it tough to deliver in anything other than a monotone, have someone else on hand to work with you. It's often much easier, as well as being more engaging, to have two presenters.

4) Keeping order. Sometimes, discussions will go off-topic. You need to have a polite and diplomatic way of bringing them back to the main topic. In extreme situations, you may have to eject someone, but starting a fight is never a good idea.

5) Follow-up. After a party, it's often the guests who thank the host. Online, it's usually the other way round, since you want to keep in touch with participants to find out what they thought, and invite them to future events.

I like James Corden. I think he's a great awards host, and handled the Grammys very well last weekend. Sir Patrick Stewart is not so keen on him as this bizarre encounter on stage at the Glamour Awards a few years ago demonstrates.

I can help.

The information in this ezine may be freely re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line - "This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk."